


Waiting for the Night

by flowersforgraves



Series: BTHB [11]
Category: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, First Aid, Gen, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 23:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16586219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersforgraves/pseuds/flowersforgraves
Summary: Seivarden sets Ekalu's broken leg, and worries.





	Waiting for the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JackedofSpades](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackedofSpades/gifts).



> prompt from darling-child-tisarwat on tumblr: raspy breathing + Imperial Radch
> 
> (card [here](https://flowersforgraves.tumblr.com/post/177921515881/); current list of claimed and filled prompts [here](https://flowersforgraves.tumblr.com/post/179986502821/))

A tight, painful sound is wrenched from between Ekalu's gritted teeth. Seivarden winces in sympathy, and she pats Ekalu's leg gently in a futile effort to reassure her. "I'm almost done," she says, not quite a lie, but not exactly true either. "I just reset the bone and now I'm going to wrap it up."

"I know." Ekalu is watching Seivarden work, pulling up fistfuls of grass as she tries to distract herself from the pain. She's more terse than usual, even considering the pain she's in, and Seivarden spares a half-moment to wonder if she's fucked up again somehow.

"Almost done," she repeats, and Ekalu huffs impatiently. "Sorry," Seivarden adds, and the hesitation is barely noticeable this time as her lips and tongue shape the unfamiliar word.

Ekalu coughs, breath harsh in her dry throat. "Me too," she says hoarsely. "Water would be nice, when you're done there."

Seivarden nods. "Sure," she says, suddenly becoming acutely aware of her own thirst. "I'll check the kit. Should be something useful in there." She sits back on her heels, admiring her handiwork briefly before she checks the bindings one more time. Satisfied, she swipes her hair away from her face once more, and sets to work on the survival kit. "I would've thought there would be better instructions," she says, making a face at the brief guide to setting up the portable shelter. 

The only response from her companion is the same ragged breathing that has been punctuating Seivarden's first-aid attempts. A sideways glance at Ekalu confirms Seivarden's hypothesis -- the lieutenant is too deeply engaged in trying to keep fighting the pain to respond verbally. In fact, Seivarden has to wonder if Ekalu has even registered her words.

"Ekalu," she says, and gets nothing.

"Ekalu," she repeats, louder, and there's a note in her voice that she doesn't like. She wishes desperately for Breq, because Breq always knows what to do. She's smart and she understands how to be a person -- well, better than Seivarden does, anyway -- and she's practical in the way only a ship can be.

"What," Ekalu says finally. She sounds tired, like she's come off a long run a few minutes ago. "I can look at the packet," she offers, and coughs again.

Seivarden hands it over. "I'm pretty sure your training was way more up to date than mine," she says, but the joke, pitiful as it is, falls flat.

Ekalu nods, forcing one hand to uncurl from the grass long enough to thumb through the packet. She's quiet again, and Seivarden is uncomfortably alone with the sounds of the outdoors. It's a creeping sort of unease, because even though she should be reassured by Ekalu's audible breathing -- _she's alive, that means she's alive_ \-- she feels even more alone, having someone else to take care of besides just herself.

"Alright," she says, forcing false cheer into her voice. "I'm going to get this thing --" she waves vaguely in the direction of the mess of parts on the ground "-- set up, and then we'll tackle whatever's next." _Hopefully before nightfall._


End file.
